NHL Draft 2023 date and time for all regions revealed

On Wednesday night, the lives of some of hockey's top young talents will change forever as the 2023 NHL Draft is set to take place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Dubbed the "Connor Bedard Draft," the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to land the franchise-altering talent.

The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET, with the first 32 selections set to be made Wednesday night. The second round will begin on Thursday, June 29 at 11 a.m. ET, with the next batch of prospects set to begin their road to the NHL.

"The prospects are finding a new home tonight. Don't miss the Upper Deck #NHLDraft TONIGHT at 7p ET on @espn, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports!" - @NHL

For fans across the globe, tuning in at the correct time is essential in order to cover all aspects of the draft. While the program will be broadcast across the world, sometimes the official timing can cause confusion, so let's dive in on the start time for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft across the world.

Here's a closer look at the starting time for the 2023 NHL Draft

While there is always a chance that there could be a programming delay, however, these are the approximate times for the NHL Draft across various global time zones:

• Pacific Time (PT): 4 p.m.
• Mountain Time (MT): 5 p.m.
• Central Time (CT): 6 p.m.
• Eastern Time (ET): 7 p.m.
• BST (UK): Thursday, 12 a.m.
• CEST (Europe): Thursday, 1 a.m.
• IST (India): Thursday, 4:30 a.m.
• CST (China): Thursday, 7 a.m.
• JST (Japan): Thursday, 8 a.m.
• AEST (Australia): Wednesday, 9 a.m

No matter where fans tune in from, Wednesday night will be the biggest night in the lives of 32 different hockey players, including top prospects Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Matvei Michkov.

Connor Bedard is the expected first-overall pick for Wednesday night's draft

The 2023 iteration of the draft will be the 61st in NHL history, with the ultra-talented center from the Regina Pats, Connor Bedard, expected to be chosen by the Chicago Blackhawks with the top pick. While some have speculated that the draft lottery was rigged, the Blackhawks will have the opportunity to land another franchise-alerting talent.

"That draft lottery worked out exactly how the NHL wanted. Bedard in a central time zone instead of pacific. Not fixed at all (nudge, nudge) #NHLdraftlottery #NHL" - @pressmanpete